


As American As Apple Pie

by Wasitora



Series: The Long Road to Heaven [1]
Category: Generation Kill, White Wolf
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fusion, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-27
Updated: 2012-02-18
Packaged: 2017-10-19 20:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/204878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wasitora/pseuds/Wasitora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Take one all American town, a bloodthirsty cult, a quartet of Scions, mix well and stand back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Generation Kill fusion with White Wolf’s Scion. For more info on Scion go to http://wiki.white-wolf.com/whitewolf/index.php?title=Scion, and http://www.gothambynight.com/scion/index.htm to learn the basics and more. I use the latter website for most stuff.
> 
> *10/18/2011 - major edit, tell me what you think :)  
> *2/12/12 - slight edit, changed Scion of Isis to Scion of Mokosh.

Brad opened his eyes to the passing of fields and forests outside, as they drove by. He closed his eyes and sighed. In this quiet, it was almost like nothing had happened, like he was still living the same life he had before. Before Gods and monsters, deaths and world shattering revelations. Brad grew up in California and was adopted at the age of 5, by a couple who couldn’t have children of their own and instead lavished all their paternal instincts and affection on him. Anna and Daniel Colbert loved him like he was their own. He had never met his father and all memory of his birth mother was lost. The only thing that stayed with him was her voice, husky and soft as it sang to him in a language he later learned was old Norse.

Finding out that the dead beat dad he had always thought about after he was adopted was Odin the All father, made him doubt his sanity at the same time it pissed him off. But he had to thank the old man for saving him from the two frost giants that had crashed his college graduation.

He was just glad he wasn’t the only one. Having Ray with him, to have Walt, and Nate made it all a little easier. At first Brad wasn’t even sure he would like his companions when Odin had first pointed him their way, but they grew on him. As he thought of Nate his stomach fluttered and he crushed the feeling down. Fucking pansy ass butterflies in his stomach. What the hell was he? A 14 year old girl? He pushed the feelings down, as far down as he could. There they would no doubt sit until the worst possible moment appeared for them to resurface.

He glanced in the rear view mirror, Walt and Nate were still sleeping, and the sun was just rising, turning the horizon blood red like a ripe apple. The morning was peaceful and Brad thinks that nothing could ruin this quiet moment. Then Ray started singing along to Avril Lavigne at the top of his lungs.

Nate and Walt awakened with a start. Brad scowled. “Ray, I swear to every God under the sun that if you don’t shut the fuck up, I will kill you, resurrect you, and kill you again.”

Ray snorted and smiled. “Don’t hate. Just cuz your pal Ray has a great set of pipes. I used to be in a band ya know.”

“Yeah, and I bet you sucked ass.” Walt said. He leaned forward in his seat, blue eyes flashing with laughter. The scion of Mokosh, the slavic goddess of the earth and fertility, flicked Ray’s ear softly, laughing. Walt was a mother’s wet dream. The kind of guy they wanted their daughters to bring home. A corn fed, handsome, wholesome boy raised in the Midwest.

“Fuck you,” Ray retorted. “I was the shit.” While Ray on the other hand was the spitting image of the tattooed covered punks fathers bought shotguns for, to keep them as far away from their daughters as possible.  


Nate just rolled his eyes and Brad shared a look with him in the rearview mirror. Nate’s too green eyes were filled with laughter and Brad felt himself responding. He fell into one of his many reveries about the look that would be on Nate’s face while Brad fucked him, deep and hard until Nate could feel him in his throat. His pupils would be dilated until only the thinnest circle of green could be seen, and his lips parted as he gasped.

“Hey, you love birds wanna get a room?” Ray asked, startling Brad out of his reverie. Brad punched him in the arm. Ray gasped and rubbed his arm, but Brad knew he didn’t really feel it. Brad had seen Ray take a punch in the face from a frost giant. He looked in the rearview mirror at Nate, hoping he hadn’t caught his latest lapse in control. Nate seemed lost in thought, looking out the window with a tiny smile on his face. Brad left him to his thoughts.

“Where are we Ray?” Nate asked.

“We are in the great state of Kansas. We passed a sign a minute ago that said we’re a couple of miles from some place called Appleton. It said the best apple pie in the world. We’re totally stopping.” Ray sounded strangely proud of himself as he imparted the news. Nate just sighed.

“Fucking Kansas, Ray? I am never letting you drive again.” Brad said. What more could he expect from the Ripped Fuel addicted son of Dionysus. It explained all the fields they passed in some in full bloom, others wilting like flowers. He knew they probably smelled like growing things and manure. He made sure to keep his window rolled up.

“Kansas isn’t that bad Brad.” Nate said, smiling. Walt and Ray are still arguing so Brad turned in his seat and looked back at Nate.

“Nate, I think I’m beginning to doubt your judgment.”

If anything Nate’s smile grew wider, showing even white teeth. “I’ll try to live with that Brad.”

Brad rolled his eyes and turned around. Nate was forever the peace maker, the judge and the leader. The son of Nuada, king of Tuatha de Daanan. The son of a king had to be able to lead, had to be able to gain the trust and respect of the people around him. Brad had fallen victim to that a long time ago.

Brad tuned out the rest the ride towards the town of Appleton, it would be good to get out to stretch his legs. Despite the large size of the jeep he had barely any leg room. He was a descendant of giants and once Odin had visited him, it seemed his body had grown over night. The giants blood warping his body and causing him to grow almost another six inches overnight. And from what he had been told it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. His bones sometimes ached with a ferociousness he hadn’t felt since his growth spurt that summer before high school.

Ray and Walt’s fight went from sniping to their own version of flirting. Ray liked to tease Brad about Nate but he was no better when it came to Walt. Brad was glad. Walt managed to blunt Ray’s more irritating tendencies. Brad toyed idly with the rune pendant that hung on the thong around his neck, the power of the Moon, a present from his father.

As they passed another sign, Brad realized Ray was right. Appleton wasn’t far, but neither was Kansas City and he much preferred there to some small town that they weren’t even sure was inhabited. They had passed more than one town that had fallen into decline and now was nothing more than a haven for rodents and wild animals. While other towns lingered, dying slow painful deaths.

Brad opened his eyes and frowned. He felt something, his senses tingling warning of danger like the hot breath of a monster on his neck. He sees it before the others do, but its presence is felt before he can shout a warning.

But he doesn’t even need to. Ray had sensed it too and slammed on the brakes, jerking them all forward in their seats. It was just in time, as more than a ton of nemean hog barreled pass with enough power to have smashed their jeep into so much scrap and them with it if they hadn’t stopped in time.

“What the fuck!?” Ray shouted, and turned the wheel desperately trying to keep the car steady. Two tires blew out with an explosive sound and Ray managed to maneuver the car over to the side of the road with sheer brute force and will.

The hog roared, shaking the trees, and fouling the air with the stench of its breath. It was almost twenty feet long from snout to tail, its tusks at least 2 feet and incredibly sharp. It’s hide looked thick and it’s fur dirty and full of twigs, leaves, and dirt and matted down in some places with what looked like blood. Every step it took should have shook the ground. Brad noticed that tied to each ankle were steel manacles that bit deep into the flesh, their broken chains dragged in the dirt.

It skidded to a halt in the trees on the side, breaking concrete and churning up the earth as it tried to stop its forward momentum. It started to turn to make another pass at the car.

“Out of the car!” Nate shouted. No one needed to be told twice, the car was a death trap. It wouldn’t survive a hit by the creature. Brad scrambled out, but Ray was the first one out.

“You motherfucker! My fucking car!” Ray shouted. He drew his gun and opened fire. The bullets bounced off it’s thick hide, only one or two penetrating, and only able to do that because it wasn’t a regular gun. It was a gift from Dionysus, named Thyrsus after the sacred staffs carried by Dionysus and his followers. The hog shook itself like the bullets were nothing more than bee stings, aimed itself at Ray and charged.  


Brad didn’t want to give it another chance at building up speed, nor did he want to have this fight on the road where it could involve other people. He ran to meet the hog calling on his gauntlet Frekiyla, Wolf Howl, feeling it turn from a simple iron cuff to a gauntlet and shield that spread from his hand, up to his shoulder. It served as both his weapon and his shield, covered in scored lines which at first appear to simply be random battle scars but which from a distance spelled out the shape of the rune Freki that gave him power over wolves.

Ray threw himself to the side with a curse. The creature missed but couldn’t stop its momentum and ground to halt and fell to one knee. It crashed into a few trees knocking them over, their roots bared to the air. Nate came up behind it and summoned his sword. The Sword of Light appeared and the light from its blade shown in the creatures eyes as it turned on Nate. It screamed in pain blinded by the light of the sword in Nate’s seemingly silver hand.

Brad stepped up, grabbing the thing by its tusk, straining to keep the thing on its knees and wrestle it to the ground. They surrounded it, Nate with his sword, Walt with his curved blade, and Ray with his gun. Walt struck with his blade, drawing a deep gash along the creatures side. It bucked and kicked out, knocking Walt away into the trees with an audible cracking that could only be his bones.

Walt cried out, “Shit!”

Ray shouted. “Walt, you alright over there!?”

“I’m fine. Kill that bastard!”

Brad grunted and strained, this time managing to get the beast on its side and giving the others a shot at its vulnerable underbelly before it escaped. They all moved in to finish it off. Ray fired into it repeatedly, gun enchanted to fire unlimited ammo. Nate jumped on top of it, trying to add his weight to keep the creature down and stabbing his sword down deep enough to hit bone. Brad wished the damn thing would just die already.

He was not in the mood for this. The situation made even worse by the fact that he knew he wouldn’t hear the end of this from Ray. He was going to be talking about the damage to his car for months. Brad scowled and twisted and strained. He wasn’t going to be able to hold it much longer, and standing in front of it was sure to get him gored if they didn’t kill it soon.

It finally died, as Nate sank his sword to the hilt into its skull through an eye socket. It was still twitching in its death throes when Brad let go of it. He wrinkled his nose. It smelled even worse dead than it did alive.

Ray helped Walt back to his feet and checked him over before running to his car. Nate glanced at Brad. “You alright?”

“I’m fine.” His whole body hurt and he was sure he pulled a couple of muscles and had a couple of broken ribs. Brad sighed and dismissed his gauntlet, watching as it retreated back into the cuff around his wrist. That still fascinated him.

Nate shook his head and frowned down at his sword. He dismissed it, and it faded away as well. “This has got to be even worse than that time that harpy flew into our hotel room and tried to make off with Walt.”

Brad looked around. At the near totaled car, their various scraps and bruises, and the massive hog laying dead on the ground. “Nah, that time was worse than this.”

Ray and Walt came over, Ray with a glower on his face and Walt patting his back. “The car’s fucked, man. We’re not going anywhere in that fucking thing. We need a damn tow truck and a mechanic.” Ray walked over to the monster and kicked it. “Fucker.”  
Walt sighed. “Stop it Ray.” He turned back towards the road. “I saw another sign for that town Ray was talking about. We’re only about a mile from it. We can make that easy.”

“Well let’s get started then. Brad could you please get Ray.” Nate said. Nate and Walt grabbed the bags out of the back of the jeep and walked to the road.

Brad went over to Ray, grabbing the mouthy fuck by the arm and tugged him away from the body of the monster he was still shouting abuse at. “Come on Ray. Even your crazy, whiskey tango ass knows that kicking the damn thing isn’t going to fix the car.” Brad wasn’t too worried about leaving the body of the nemean behind so close to the road. If someone found it, they’d probably proclaim it a freak of nature and sell it for as much money as possible. People would rationalize it as a fluke and it would fade from their memory soon after.

“Fine.” He tugged his arm out of Brad’s grip. They joined Walt and Nate on the road, grabbed their bags from them and started walking. Walt walked favoring his side but it only took a few steps before he healed the damage. Ray was by his side, exercising his usual stalker tendencies, that Walt for some odd reason found cute. .

Brad slowly counted down from ten in his head. As soon as he hit one, Ray started talking. His energy as manic as ever despite having fought for his life not ten minutes ago. Brad sighed. He was doing a lot of that today. They couldn’t get to this Appleton place soon enough.

The walk was uneventful. A few cars passed them and Ray would stick out his thumb like a hitchhiker. No one stopped. Finally Walt pushed his hand down. “Stop that. The walk will be good for you.”

Now that they were on foot Brad got a good look at the fields they passed. They weren’t just wilting, they were dying and going untended. It looked like something was killing them. The ground was dry and cracked, and smelled of decay. Walt made a startled sound at the sight. He headed towards a field and crouched down at the edge of it.

“They’re all sick. Some kind of blight.” Walt studied them some more and then he placed his hands on the ground, dug his fingers into the dirt and closed his eyes. He opened them and turned shocked eyes to Nate. “I can’t heal them. It’s like something’s stopping me.”

Nate frowned. “Maybe it’s a new kind of disease or its too far along.”

“No,” Walt said stubbornly. “I should be able to fix them, something’s wrong here.” He stood up abruptly and started walking again. Ray shrugged at them and hurried to keep up with him.

Brad started walking again and Nate walked beside him. They caught up quickly to Walt and Ray. “Somebody had that hog locked up somewhere,” he said quietly. He looked like his mind was going a mile a minute.

“They weren’t feeding her very well or I wouldn’t have been able to hold her the way I did. She was weaker than she should have been…and young,” Brad replied. “I think Walt’s right. Something strange is going on.”

“I agree but we can’t do anything about it right now. Let’s just get to this town and get the car fixed. Besides if anyone is going to know what’s going on with the fields and that thing it’ll be people that live in the area.”

Brad nodded, then he leaned over and punched Ray in the arm. “Fucking Kansas, Ray.”  
**********************************************************************************************************************************************  
Appleton looked like the ideal little town, if you liked the Stepford wives vibe, Brad thought. The sign they passed on the way in proclaimed it famous for its apples and apple pies. It’s streets were clean and even, the shops lined up all in neat little rows with colorful banners. Brad expected more people to be on the streets, tourists walking around and taking pictures of all the small town life. A few locals were out and about doing business, but as far as Brad could tell, the four of them were the only strangers if the looks they were receiving were any indication.

“You’d think there would be more tourism. Small towns like this usually only thrive because of it,” Nate said.

“Those must be some good fucking apples,” Brad replied. The orchards must have been on the other side of town but that didn’t stop the sweet smell of ripe apples from permeating the street.

“I wonder how the owners of the orchards avoided that blight,” Walt said. “The wind should have carried it here.”

“Maybe they got lucky,” Ray answered.

“Maybe,” Walt agreed, but he looked unconvinced. He didn’t believe that. And Brad didn’t either, but he had gotten paranoid lately. It seemed every time they turned around the gods or Fate itself was trying to kick them in the nuts. Its made him as paranoid as any government conspiracy theorist.

They were so busy looking around for a gas station or a mechanic, they would have missed the diner if Ray hadn’t started talking excitedly. “Food! Finally man, I’m fucking starving.” He made a beeline straight for it, all thoughts of his car forgotten for a moment.

It shocked Walt out of the silence he had fallen into. He rolled his eyes. “I better follow him before he does something to get us all thrown in jail.”

The awning of the diner proudly proclaimed it to be Betty Ann’s in red script on a gleaming white background. It was like stepping into the 1950’s when they stepped inside. It was bigger than Brad expected. To the left was a long white counter with smooth white stools and a few platters of cakes and pies dotted along it. To the right were the booths, their seats made of cheap but well made leather and large windows allowing light to shine down on the occupants. Further back and centered were a group of five tables, with four chairs around each of them. And behind them an old fashioned jukebox.

Ray had chosen the table closest to the wall, with a clear view of the windows, the door, and even the entrance to the kitchen, and he was already ordering. For all that Brad made fun of Ray’s intelligence, Ray was far smarter and more manipulative than most people realized. They sit and add their orders to Ray’s no doubt massive one. Brad had no idea where he put it all. Lisa, as her name tag stated, stared down at them with a shocked and bemused expression on her face, leaving the table after having to use two and a half pages on her pad to get their order down completely.

There were a few locals in the diner with them but they glanced at the band and then deliberately turned away. It was strange. Standing at a few inches shy of seven feet tall, Brad thought that his height alone should have garnered them a second or even a third look. But the townspeople seemed quite intent on paying them no mind. Their body language was tense and unhappy, and maybe even a little scared.

At the table across from them a young couple sat in deep conversation with another waitress who’s name tag proudly proclaimed her to be Betty Ann, owner. The young woman gestured empathically and the two women laughed together, while her boyfriend stuffed his face.

“Well darling, ain’t no need to worry about your car. Joe is a great mechanic. If he says you’ll be on the road tonight, he means it,” Betty Ann said. She was a plump matronly woman with blue eyes and a wide smile. She radiated good cheer from the top of her curly blond hair to the bottom of her feet in her sensible white shoes.

“Oh thank you so much. And the inn we’re staying at is just beautiful, thank you for telling us about it,” the girlfriend gushed and her boyfriend grunted his agreement. The girl frowned at him and moved the plate away from him, the charm bracelet on her wrist shined, the little hammer charms catching the light.

Nate leaned closer to them and cleared his throat softly. “Excuse me. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I couldn’t help but over hear. Our car blew a couple of tires a mile down the road. Does your mechanic have time to go get it for us?” He smiled ruefully. And just like that he charmed them, without even needing to push at them with his power. Brad was impressed.

The girls eyes softened and even her boyfriend looked sympathetic. Betty Ann’s eyes widened in dismay, a little too theatrical for Brad’s taste or Nate’s judging by his suddenly tight smile.

“Oh you poor dears. I’m gonna get Ol’ Joe on the phone right now. You c’mon darling and we’ll see what we can do for ya.” Nate thanked her and followed Betty Ann to the phone.

Brad watched him go, then turned back to the table as the younger waitress finally brought their food, staggering a little under the weight. Ray dug in immediately and Walt followed more sedately.

“It’s too bad about your car. We had similar trouble,” the girl said. Then she leaned forward, extending her hand for Brad to shake. He did, enfolding her small hand in his. “I’m Nancy and that big lug over there is Jake.” She was pretty in a girl next door kind of way and Jake looked like the typical college kid, handsome enough with mischief in his eyes. Nancy continued to chatter on not caring that Brad answered her mostly in monosyllabic words and grunts while he ate. When she asked about them, he told her they were college buddies on a post graduation summer road trip. It was technically true, if you replaced college buddies on a road trip with warriors on a quest forced on them by their divine parents. It had been an interesting year.

Her boyfriend gave him an apologetic glance and shrugged. He must have been well used to her ways and knew there was no way to forestall her.

She was one of those bubbly people that even as they annoyed you, you couldn’t help but like. Not like Betty Ann’s cheeriness that seemed a little over the top and false to Brad.

“Oh!,” she exclaimed suddenly. Walt jumped and Ray chocked on the final his final mouthful forcing Walt to pound him on the back, while Jake laughed. “I’m sorry,” she said blushing. “But you guys have to stay at the Orchard Inn while your car is in the shop. The rooms are just beautiful and the owner, Laura McGrath, is just the nicest woman. Her husbands family actually founded this town.” She threw in that bit of trivia in for free.

“That’s not a bad idea. Joe says he’ll get our car and start working on it first thing tomorrow morning. We’ll need a place to stay,” Nate said as he approached having caught the tail end of the conversation.

“Sounds good,” Walt said. “I’ll just be happy to sleep in a nice bed.”

“He can’t get to it any sooner?,” Ray asked frowning.

“Stop trying to jump the queue Ray,” Brad replied.

“Its okay,” Nancy said laughingly. “We’ll be out of here by night fall, so don’t you worry. That reminds me.” She jumped from her seat and started chivying Jake from his seat, barely giving him enough time to settle their bill. “We have to get ready or we’ll never make it to my parent’s house in time. Bye guys!”

“Alright, alright,” Jake muttered good naturedly. They left together and the diner went quiet, leaving only the murmur of voices as people talked amongst themselves. People started to drift in, unconsciously drawn to the godlings in their midst. Probably Ray more than anyone. The son of Dionysus attracted people like a magnet, and even the flimsiest of parties could turn into raves if Ray was around long enough. It drove Brad crazy sometimes.

When Betty Ann came to drop off the check he asked her about the inn. “How far is the inn from here?”

“Not far darling. Definitely walking distance.” She then proceeded to give them directions that involved taking a right after the second big rock and walking down a dirt road until you reach a huge white oak. Gods, small towns. Nate settled the bill and got everyone moving. It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last that Brad thanked anyone listening for Nate’s large trust fund.

Betty Ann and Lisa the waitress waved goodbye to them, while the rest of the diner refused to even look up.  
**********************************************************************************************************************************************  
They arrived at the Orchard Inn in the evening, after making a stop at the mechanic. Ol’ Joe turned out to not be that old after all. Instead they met a middle aged man, thick and muscular, with a stern face and a smattering of gray shot through his hair and beard. He’d been taciturn but polite, refusing to quote a price until he saw the extent of the damage. Brad could respect that and they parted amicably. Joe would call them once he towed the jeep into town.

The inn was a large two story lodge, made of dark wood and brick. It was not at all what Brad pictured in his head when he thought of small town motels. It was a pleasant surprise. The desk clerk was a jittery young man named Dennis. His hands moved constantly and he talked throughout their check in. Brad walked away and left the others to deal with it, and started looking around. The main area was surprisingly bare with only a few plush chairs to sit on and potted plants to give it some color. The walls were lined with portraits, previous owners and their families.

“In those pictures is every generation of the McGrath family since the town’s founding,” a voice said. Brad turned to find the source. “Hello, I’m Laura McGrath, the owner. That’s my son Dennis over there.”

“Brad Colbert,” he said and shook her hand. Laura McGrath was very pretty, with very blue eyes, dark hair, and pale skin. He’d always liked blue eyes, though recently he had come to prefer green. There was a harshness to her face that detracted somewhat from her good looks and a smug smile lingered around her lips.

She moved around him and pointed to a picture, the most recent one. “That’s my husband Steven, the sheriff,” she said, indicating the tall good looking man with the severe features and solemn expression. “His family founded the town and planted the first apple orchards.” She sounded proud and proprietary.

“That’s a lot of history,” Brad replied, for lack of anything better to say or any real interest in the subject.

“Yes it is, full of hard decisions and compromises,” she replied softly.

“Brad,” Nate called, his eyes fastened on Laura McGrath like a laser. “The rooms are ready, come on. Walt and Ray went on ahead of us.” Brad bid her goodbye and followed Nate up the stairs.

The second floor of the inn was completely carpeted, so plush that Brad felt like he sank into it with every step. The sounds of their steps was completely absorbed. Each door was made of handsome dark wood, sturdy and strong.

“We’re at the end of the hallway. Ray and Walt are next door,” Nate said, opening the door to his room. Brad followed him in to get the key to his own room. The room was large and well furnished, everything seemingly made of oak, like the doors. There was an average sized television on top of the dresser facing the king sized bed, and two armchairs with an end table in between them. There was a large window, curtains open to let in the sunlight. The view showed a small gravel parking lot and beyond that a large forested area with a thin trail starting right on the edge of it.

Nate closed the door behind them, walked to the window and closed the curtains, then turned to regard Brad. Brad fidgeted under his gaze a little before getting himself firmly under control. “Are you going to give me my room key anytime soon?,” he asked.

“This is your room. Or I should say our room. Ray and Walt are sharing, I figured we could o the same.”

“Ray and Walt are also fucking. Did you figure we could do that too?”, he asked sarcastically.

“If you want.”

Brad froze then moved quickly towards Nate, in his personal space before he could blink. “You better not be fucking with me Nate, I swear to god.”

Nate met his gaze evenly, green eyes slowly dilating and face flushed. “You know I can be pretty oblivious to some things but I’ve noticed the way you look at me sometimes. In the car this morning was just one of them. We’ve all been traveling together for almost a year Brad. Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

Brad shrugged, a bit embarrassed, remembering exactly what he had been thinking about at that moment. “I wasn’t sure how you would take it. We work well together, I didn’t want to fuck it up.”

Nate laughed affectionately. “You don’t have to worry about that now. The things we do and deal with are dangerous. We’re not immortal, at least not yet. I finally decided there was no more time left to waste.” He placed his hand on Brad’s chest. Brad wondered if he could feel the way the rapid beat of his heart and heat of his blood as it traveled south. “So how about you show me what you want to do to me?”

Brad didn’t need to be told twice. Brad captured the lips that had starred in almost every fantasy he has had since he met Nate. Imagining them wrapped around his dick or parted with moans.

He picked Nate up easily, tossed him back on the bed, and eagerly followed him down. Soon there was nothing but skin, slick with sweat, pre-come, and lube. Brad paused when he saw bottle of lube, left wondering how long Nate had been planning this, before being distracted by Nate pulling him down for another kiss.

He kissed his way down Nate’s body, enjoying his gasps and bitten off whimpers. When he finally reached his cock, he swallowed it down without preamble, drawing a strangled shout from Nate. Nate grasped at whatever parts of Brad he could reach, as Brad teased him with small licks and kisses.

“God Brad just fuck me,” Nate finally said, gasping for breath. Brad slicked his fingers and slowly, so slowly eased them inside. Nate was tight, and hot around his fingers, and just thinking how that heat would feel around his cock made him pant.  
Brad prepared Nate thoroughly, enjoying the way he cursed him and urged him to hurry, and tried to fuck himself on his fingers. Finally ready, he placed Nate’s legs over his shoulders and eased his way inside him, eyes closed to appreciate the sensation.  
Nate groaned. “Fuck, Brad. Faster please.” How could he say no to that? He bottomed out and then began to pick up speed, going as deep as he could each time, with Nate egging him on.

Brad doesn’t know how long they fucked. He lost himself to deep penetrating thrusts, folding Nate almost in half as he went deeper, to Nate’s whispered and shouted encouragement, and the look in his eyes. They came together, so hard that lights flashed before his eyes, and everything went dark for a moment. He collapsed beside Nate on the bed as they tried to get their breath back.

“Why the hell weren’t we doing this before?,” he asked.

“Because we’re idiots,” Nate answered. He went into the bathroom and came back a moment later with a towel to wipe themselves off with. He tossed it on the floor after they were done, and nudged Brad until they both could slip underneath the covers.

Nate laid his head down on Brad’s chest, already assured of his place there, and Brad did nothing to dissuade him. And that’s the way they fell asleep.  
**********************************************************************************************************************************************  
When Brad woke, it was pitch black, except for the lights leaking through the curtains from the lights in the parking lot. Nate was still sleeping beside him, having rolled over on to his stomach sometime in the night. He’s not sure what woke him up, it almost felt like something foreboding hung in the air, not imminent danger but something that was not too far off nonetheless.

Brad heard voices coming from outside. He got out of bed still naked but uncaring and walked to the window. He moved the curtains, and peered through the small slit he had made. Laura McGrath stood outside next to Nancy and her boyfriend Jake, talking to them as they loaded up their newly repaired car on the far side of the lot.

Next to her stood the tall severe man from the photograph, her husband the sheriff still in his uniform with two of his deputies standing nearby. In between them was the mechanic Ol’ Joe, who stood in stony silence, his broad shoulders slightly hunched in as if to ward off a blow.

He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but he could see the clear signs of Nancy talking everyone’s ear off as Jake loaded the car. Finally, he was done and managed to get Nancy in the car, and they all waved as the couple drove off. Joe a little halfheartedly and looking like he wanted to say something.

After a moment, the sheriff turned to Joe and said something, stance stiff and angry while Laura stood behind him looking on. Joe stiffly nodded and then the deputies, from what Brad could see, escorted the mechanic away.

The McGrath’s lingered for a few minutes more, exchanging quiet words. The sheriff hugged his wife than they both walked back inside. Brad allowed the curtains to fall shut again, and went to lay back down. It took him a long time to fall asleep again, as he went over everything in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

When Laura McGrath nee Argent was born her mother held her tight as she was taken before the Great Tree in the orchard. There the Goddess breathed on her face and proclaimed her a priestess born.

It was to be her duty to keep the Goddess happy and fruitful, like her mother and her mother before her. She received the mark of the Goddess and had never felt more complete than at that moment.

When she came of age, married Craig and gave birth to her child, once again she stood before the tree. The blood from her son’s birth still stained her thighs and she needed Betty and several other women to hold her up but she stood strong.

Every year she insured the Lady received her sacrifices and every year Appleton’s wealth grew. Laura watched the other communities died out. Their crops failing, and in some cases their children dying, all because they refused the Lady her due.

Sometimes things became hard. Most of the townspeople were afraid to do what was necessary no matter how many times Laura would point out the plight of their neighbors.

They didn’t want the deaths on their consciences, or so they claimed. So Laura stepped in hating the fact that it was necessary to keep them living in fear of the Lady’s spawn to keep them in line.

But it was for the greater good, she fervently believed that. If she ever doubted, which had never happened in her 20 years of serving the Goddess, all she had to do was look at the fate of the surrounding towns.

So as the years went by she made sure the Lady received sacrifices every year and this would not be the first time she sacrificed children of the gods.

Laura walked into the office and sat behind her desk. Her face was blank of any expression as Betty Ann, her husband Steven, and Deputy Fredrick followed her inside, taking the seats in front of her.

“The new strangers are ones in your vision?” Fredrick asked without preamble. He was a tall, thin man but there was strength in those deceptively fragile looking limbs.

“Yes those are the ones She showed me.” Laura answered.

“But the sacrifice went off without a hitch last night. Why are these four boys so important?” Betty Ann asked.

Laura shared a glance with her husband, before giving the older, plump woman a steely glare. Betty was beginning to get too prideful. She was always pushing into things that were the purview of priestesses of the faith not followers. She was going to have to take her down a peg or two soon.

“It obviously wasn’t enough this time,” Steven answered trying to smooth things over.

“No, it wasn’t,” Laura agreed. “Or haven’t you noticed the change in the air.” She referred to the growing scent of rot underneath the town’s usual scent of sweet apples. “I have never led you astray before. Trust me now to know Her will. They must be sacrificed if we are to endure.”

There was silence for a moment before there were noises of assent. Steven just nodded. Laura knew he never doubted her.

He turned to hid deputy. “Call Joe and tell him to stall them until late tonight. We’ll prepare for the sacrifice.”

Fredrick nodded and left to make the call. Betty Ann followed soon after, muttering some nonsense about the diner. Laura didn’t bother to listen. Everything was set in motion, she would head to the orchard and prepare.  
************************************************************************  
The sound of heavy pounding on the door woke him the next morning. Nate’s side of the bed was long cold. Brad hadn’t remembered Nate being stealthy enough to leave without waking him.

But after last night, Brad was quickly coming to realize that even a year in each other’s company had not prepared him for the way Nate’s mind worked. The pounding continued with annoying consistency and energy.

Brad wondered who’s bright idea it was to send Ray to wake him, before remembering that this was Ray. He most likely volunteered.

“Bradley! Up and at ‘em. We have a busy day ahead, get your giant Viking ass out of bed,” Ray shouted through the door.

Brad threw his boot at the door, making a solid thump as it hit. If nothing else it conveyed his irritation. Ray just laughed and Brad heard his steps as he jogged away from the door.

He showered and dressed in record time, every so often darting glances at the empty bed his face heating with the memory of what happened there last night.

He had expected this morning to be awkward and full of pregnant silences, but Nate’s absence was like a salve.

Brad was well aware that Nate had probably planned it that way, giving him sometime to wrap his mind around this new situation they found themselves in.

Brad opened the door and headed downstairs. When he got to the main area the only one waiting for him was Ray. Not even jittery Dennis was behind the desk and the door to the back office was closed.

“I wonder who I’ve pissed off today to be stuck with you in the morning,” Brad mused.

“Yeah, yeah. We all know who you’d rather see right now,” Ray retorted, wiggling his eyebrows in a way he no doubt thought was cute. Brad was not impressed. His face clearly showed it.

Ray just laughed. There seemed to be no sense of self-preservation in any of the white trash bones in his body.

Brad ignored him and pushed the other godling towards the door.

“Where are the others?” Brad asked as they left the inn and walked down the dirt path.

“The mechanic called. He’s got the truck and he wants to tell us how much fixing the damn thing is going to cost me.”

Brad made a noncommittal noise. They retraced the path they took yesterday back to the center of town. The sun was shining; the birds were chirping, and a lot of other cliched things that made Brad doubt his sanity.

Ray’s face was comical in its confusion and distaste. “They make me wanna blow something up just to get those freaky body snatcher smiles off their faces.”

They passed a few townspeople who smiled wide and waved cheerily. Brad kept a tight grip on Ray’s arm before he could make the rude gesture he could feel coming, and waved back.

Brad found their hot and cold attitude just as annoying but there was no cause antagonizing the people before their car was even fixed. But their smiles were strained and Brad doubted the townspeople liked the Band any better than they did yesterday. The people in town seemed almost manic in their good cheer.

The smell of apples seemed to have doubled overnight, almost nauseating in its sweetness. But under the sweet smell was the faint scent of rot.  
They were stopped several times by the inhabitants. They wished to chat and as Brad looked closer he could see how strained their smiles really were.

One woman seemed very intent upon them visiting the town’s apple orchard, and it took several tries to get away from her.

When they finally made it to the mechanic’s shop, Ray breathed an audible sigh of relief.

“I thought we’d never get here. What the fuck is wrong with these people!?”

“Keep your fucking voice down”, Brad said sharply. “I don’t know but I think it might involve the sheriff and his wife.” He finished quietly. He related the events of last night.

“Hmm,” Ray said. “I say we get Nate to lean on Ol’ Joe and see what happens. Because this is some village of the damned type shit and I ain’t havin’ it.”

“Eloquent as always Ray. Just distract the guy for a minute while I clue Walt and Nate in.”

Joe’s garage didn’t have a sign or even a name Brad found out. It was simply called Ol’ Joe’s. The space was surprisingly wide, well lit, and orderly. Truthfully Brad had expected worse.

He could hear the murmur of voices farther back in the shop and he headed towards them with Ray on his heels.

They come to the back of the building, the garage area that is open to the elements except for a sturdy metal roof. Their jeep sat up on a lift as Joe looks it over.

Nate looked over and smiled at him and Brad couldn’t help but smile back. Ray started making wet kissing noises behind him. They quickly ended when he found himself with Brad’s elbow in his stomach.

Nate shook his head in mock irritation. Joe and Walt turned to see what was going on.

“Joe these are our friends Brad and Ray,” Nate said. “This is actually Ray’s jeep. Ray you will be happy to know that Joe said we can be out of here by tonight or tomorrow the latest.”

“Hell yeah, that’s some damn good news,” Ray exclaimed. “Now my main man Joe, let’s talk price.”

He walked over to Joe and pulled him away, talking in his usual rapid fire way. That poor man wouldn’t know what hit him.

Brad, Nate, and Walt watched them go.

“Do you think we should save him?” Walt asked.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine for a little while. It’s not like Ray’s going to eat him.” Nate answered.

At least not yet, Brad thought. “I think we have bigger things to worry about.” He told them about last night’s events. “This town is very strange and it seems like the longer we stay here the worse it’s going to get.”

Nate absorbed this in silence before answering. “Unless we’re willing to abandon the jeep and start walking we’re stuck here.”

“True,” Brad agreed. “But we can stick it out and end up having a repeat of that hotel in Vegas.”

“Yeah”, Walt said. “That was bad. It took forever to get the harpy smell out of my clothes.”

“Before we make any hasty decision, let’s ask Joe,” Nate said. He then and went to where Ray was talking to Joe. Still talking a mile a minute and gesturing wildly.

Nate smoothly moved to interrupt, drawing Joe away from Ray. “Ray could you excuse Joe and me for a moment? There are some things we need to discuss.”

Ray nodded and they drifted away a little, though still close enough to hear the conversation. Joe looked nervous, his shoulders were tight and his eyes dark. He’d looked stressed and vaguely guilty since their arrival.

“Joe, I know it may not seem like it now, but it would be in your best interest to help us. What were you and the McGraths talking about last night at the inn?” Nate asked. His voice made it sound like a perfectly rational thing to do. It reverberated with the power of his ichor. Why wouldn’t you tell him everything you know?

“The Lady demands sacrifice to keep the orchards healthy. You and your friends are to be sacrificed just like the young couple last night. Most of us are trapped here. Anyone who speaks out is sacrificed or fed to the creatures. The sheriff and his wife don’t like dissent.” Joe blurted out, unable to stop himself. His face was confused but he couldn’t seem to stop talking. “I don’t doubt that it’ll soon be my turn under the knife.”

The Band shared a look, while Joe speech came to a stuttering halt and fear came rushing back to his face.

“Well, I didn’t expect that. What the hell are we going to do?” Ray asked.

“How…” Joe gasped. “If they find out I’ve told, they’ll kill me.”

Walt tried to comfort the man. “We can help you.” He began.

“No, you don’t understand. It’s supposed to happen tonight. If you guys don’t show up they’ll know I told and they’ll kill my family.”

He seemed to be a second away from a heart attack, before Nate intervened. “You don’t have to worry about that. We will show up and we’ll free your town from the monster and its cult.”

Nate seemed to glow with warmth, using his godly power, his forceful personality easily suppressed the man’s tension and for the first time Brad saw Joe smile. Nate returned it.

The man believed in them, or at least he did for that moment. “How? We’ve been living like this for more than 20 years. All that blood on our hands because we were too scared to do anything.” His large, work scarred hands clenched into fists.

“We’re more than we seem,” Walt replied. “We just need you to tell us how it was going to go down and we’ll take it from there.”

“What exactly is the Lady?” Brad asked.

“I’ve never actually seen her but a few others have. They described as her as being the most beautiful woman they’ve ever seen. Her skin is green like grass, and her hair is full of flowers, but her eyes are red like a demon or something,” Joe said

“That sounds like a nymph, dude,” Ray said thoughtfully. “But no nymph I’ve ever met has had red eyes.”

Brad knew what a nymph was. All those long car drives with Nate making them stop at every bookstore they passed to buy books on mythology and supernatural creatures of as many cultures as he could find. Nymphs were another species of “elfin” creatures, exclusively female and most commonly associated with the Dodekatheon.

The lesser immortals appear, when they deign to appear at all, as ravishingly beautiful women who are spiritually associated with some kind of natural ecological phenomena, such as glades, rivers, lakes or even individual trees.

But Nymphs are primarily protective fertility deities, they didn’t demand blood sacrifices, they didn’t need them. If it was a nymph there was something seriously wrong with her.

The whole while they talked, Joe nodded along, looking at them all hopefully. The plan came easily and quickly.

They were supposed to break down not too far out of town. It would force them to walk back for help through the orchard. There the Sheriff and the others would be waiting for them. Brad wasn’t surprised to find out that Betty Ann was one of them.

The plan they worked out was simple. The scions would pretend they were fooled by the cult’s workings. They were going to get in their car, breakdown, “Pretend to breakdown,” Ray emphasized at Joe. Then they would follow the path to the center of the orchard.

“Let’s not forget we have to look out for more of those damn Nemean hogs. Little babies that belong to the momma we killed on the way here,” Ray reminded them.

The cult wouldn’t be prepared for forewarned and armed sacrifices. Or so they hoped.

They left Joe shaking in reaction, but with newfound resolve.

They stopped at the diner for a bite to eat. Brad was happy to see that Betty Ann wasn’t waiting tables today, because he didn’t think he could keep his dislike off his face. They ate enough to feed a small army if the look on Lisa’s face was any indication.

After they finished, walking back to the inn was a lesson in patience. They were stopped several times before they managed to get away. Walt acted as their spokesperson, flashing everyone his pretty, innocent smile. But it was as false as the town’s friendliness. Brad wondered how many of them would be at orchard tonight to slit their throats.

Nate wished Dennis behind his counter a good afternoon, as they all trooped back upstairs. They congregated into his and Nate’s room, banging out the kinks in their plan.

For some odd reason, Brad almost thought that after the day they’d had something would have changed. But everything was still the same, their bags were still in the same place, and the bed had been made and the roomed cleaned.

The Band searched the room as thoroughly as they could before they spoke. Brad doubted the cult was on to them or would even bother bugging the room, but it never hurt to be careful.

“Now I realize why I couldn’t fix those crops. Maybe those other towns didn’t sacrifice to whatever this thing is and it punished them,” Walt said after they’d finished searching. Nothing in their bags had been tampered with and Ray had gone to make sure the same could be said for the room he shared with Walt.

“There’s also something else we have to think about,” Nate said. “If we kill this thing will it get rid of the blight affecting the crops or will it get worse.”

Walt’s face hardened. The Bogovi, the Slavic gods, are the gods of the natural balance of the universe, the ebb and flow of the tides, and the passing of the seasons. Brad realized Walt was taking the Lady’s actions against the land personally. 

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle that. Without her interference, I’m sure I can fix whatever she did.”

Ray came back in and closed the door behind him. “Everything looks okay. Nothings missing, but I’m definitely keeping my relics on me until this is over.”

He shoved his gun in his waistband behind his back and his smart phone in his pocket. Brad had to admit he liked that particular relic. It served as Ray’s relic, providing access to the power of the Psychopomp. Not to mention its nifty power that allows it to perform all of the functions that a regular smartphone can perform, with the added bonus that they never need to worry about pesky details like a service contract or reception.

Brad followed his example, and made sure to tuck his own gun away on his person, out of sight of prying eyes. He was a pretty decent shot and there was no telling whether he would be able to get close enough to his targets to put his inhuman strength to use.

“All right gents,” Nate said finally. He’d been mostly silent for the entire exchange. Only someone who knew him would be able to see the flush of excitement in his face. Ray bounced happily at the sight. Any chance to cause a little chaos made Ray happy. “Let’s prepare for tonight.”


	3. Chapter 3

Evening was swiftly falling in Appleton. The crescent moon waited eagerly for sunset and around them the town full of sheep waited inside their walls. While the shepherds who claimed to protect them sharpened their knives. 

The scions had scattered to their separate rooms to rest until nightfall some time ago. To Brad time moved molasses slow, and all the pent up energy had to go somewhere. So he and Nate had spent the rest of the day in bed, enjoying their new found intimacy.

“It’s almost time,” he said as he dressed for the last time. Brad felt limber and relaxed, all the energy that waiting for nightfall had garnered exercised by really, really good sex. 

But the waiting was the worse. Since he had first found out about his heritage, things came fast and out of nowhere. Fate played games with them fast and loose. The earth sometimes moved underneath their feet and carefully made plans fell through. Brad expected this time to be no different.

Nate hummed in agreement, already dressed and looking out the window towards the heavy thicket of trees that bracketed the inn. “They’ll be here soon. We’ll probably get a nice friendly send off just like Nancy and Jason did. I wonder how far they got before the car stopped and they were dragged off into the darkness.”

“It’s better not to think about now. Either way we’ll put an end to this,” Brad said. Nate was silent, just nodding.

There was a knock on the door then, and Brad opened it. Ray and Walt stood there, their packs thrown over their shoulders. “It’s time to blow this fucking town,”Ray said loudly. “The jeep’s outside.”  
“Gods Ray, must you be so...you?” Walt asked exasperatedly. He pushed the other man towards the stairs despite his protests, which were strident and loud.

Brad grabbed his bag, and made room for Nate to get his. He checked his gun in the small of his back, the cuff around his wrist that became his gauntlet, the Death rune pendant around his neck, and the Frost rune ring around his finger.

He watched as Nate grabbed his bag, not bothering to check his Relic, the Sword of Light, because it resided in a place that only he could reach. 

They make their way downstairs to find their car in front of the inn. The innkeeper, Laura McGrath and her sheriff husband Steven are standing nearby talking to Walt and Ray. Joe was standing nearby as well, quiet and tense, and the scornful look Laura kept shooting him was probably the reason.

The jeep looked transformed, all the dents hammered out and the wheels were shiny and new. Ray seemed to be doing all the talking, and the McGrath’s looked like they didn’t know whether to be entertained or offended by what they were hearing. The usual look people had when talking to Ray.

“Ray give the people a break. We’ll never be able to come back here if you scare the people,” Nate said with a smile.

“You don’t have to worry about that, you’ll always be welcome back here,” Laura said, returning the smile with one of her own.

Really? Is that before or after you sacrifice us on an altar?, Brad thought to himself. He opened up the back and threw his bag inside, gesturing at the others to pass him theirs. He ignored everyone around him, not bothering to return any of the sheriff’s comments with anything longer than a grunt or monosyllabic words. He stopped talking to him after a while and drifted off back to his wife.

They were given directions out of town and farewells were exchanged. The couple gave a few generic platitudes before leaving and the Band jumped into the car and drove off. Ray had pushed his way into the drivers seat and no one felt like arguing.

The town was quiet as they drove through, no one was out on the streets but lights were on in their houses, the only thing keeping the darkness from being suffocating. All they could hear from outside was the chirping of the crickets and rushing of the wind through the windows. Even Brad’s supernaturally strong ears couldn’t hear anything over it.

“Okay, all this silence is getting fucking depressing. I’m turning the radio on,” Ray declared. He dug around the seat before pulling out his ipod and hooking it up to the player.

“Fine, but please no Avril Lavigne. I’m begging you.” Walt said.

“I make no promises. It’s on random and you guys need to stop hating on her.”

“We can hate all we want Ray. The woman can’t sing and the record company executive that signed her needs to be shot to be taught a lesson,” Brad said emphatically.

Their laughter shatters the tension and Ray speeds up. 

********************************************************************************************************  
They’ve barely been driving two hours when Ray gives the heads up. “We’re almost there guys.”

Brad has seen no one on the road the entire time, its like they’re cut off from the world. The smell of apples and rot has just gotten stronger, signalling that they are closer to the main apple orchard and the creature in the center of it.

“How do you kill a nymph Ray?” Brad asked. Of all of them Ray was the one who devoured the mythology books Nate forced them all to read. He had perfect recall, sometimes able to utter whole passages, quotes, authors, and all.

“Well they’re lesser immortals, strong but not unkillable. A nymph can’t survive for long away from their area. Also, if we destroy the whole orchard it’ll definitely kill it.”

“Let’s try not to burn the town’s whole livelihood gentleman. That is the absolutely last option,” Nate said.

“Some nymphs are tied to one tree especially. If that’s the case we can just burn down one tree and kill it that way,” Ray offered.

“You just want to set something on fire Ray,” Walt said. Ray doesn’t deny it.

The marker that proclaimed the entrance to the orchard was soon illuminated by the cars headlights. The town hadn’t named their orchard. Brad could understand that, the orchard was a staple in the community. Literally the most important part of their town, it didn’t need a name.

Ray slowed the jeep in sudden starts and stops to trick anyone who was watching into thinking they were actually breaking down. He finally came to a stop and they all exchanged excited and anxious grins. Not surprisingly Ray is the first one out kicking the tires and cursing up a storm.

Some of the words Brad hasn’t even heard before. He’s reluctantly impressed. “How many times must you be told Ray, that doesn’t help?” Brad asked, arching one pale eyebrow.

“It may not help but it sure as fuck makes me feel better.”

The road is dark, the only light coming from the stars and the surprisingly bright moon, illuminating everything in pale light. The path leading into the orchard can barely be seen. The trees are huge and heavily laden with ripe apples. 

Some have already fallen from the branches and scattered on the ground, probably to be picked up tomorrow. Others still hang from the branches but Brad can see the dark spots and the smell of rot is almost overpowering to his sensitive nose. 

Brad can imagine why the other people had taken this path instead of walking back along the road. The orchard would be considered faster than the extremely winding road they had taken to get here. Brad’s eyes are sharp enough to use all available light and he takes the lead.

He stretched his senses as far as they could go and they could go pretty damn far. He could hear and see almost 40 feet in any direction and smell about half as well. The night hindered him but not as much as it would the others. Brad started along the trail with predatory focus, like wolf catching a scent. He followed the signs of movement, every footprint and broken twig stood out with shocking clarity.

Ray and Walt followed behind him silently, trusting him not to lead them astray. Beside him, Nate walked with confident steps, his own power enabling him to see in the dimmest light. 

Brad came to a halt as he heard sound of heavy footsteps. The others quickly followed his lead, looking around to pinpoint the sound, Brad slowly walked forward. He could hear it clearly now. It was the heavily snorting breathing of some kind of bovine, and by the sound of it more than one.

They froze, hunkering down by the larger trees as three nemean hogs walked past. They weren’t as big as the creature they killed on the way into town. No more than maybe the size of a tiger, but that was still pretty fucking big, and there were three of them.

The hogs moved off deeper into the orchard and away from the Band. Brad breathed a sigh of relief.

“The cult first, then the hogs,” Nate announced quietly. They nodded in agreement. As he moved to stand a glitter of silver caught out the corner of his eye made him pause. He knelt and unearthed it. It was a silver charm bracelet with little Thor hammers. Brad grimaced and shoved the thing in his pocket.

As they got closer to the center, Brad could hear chanting, no more than a dozen voices. All chanting in a language unfamiliar to Brad. They were probably calling on their Deity.

Brad paused before heading further into the clearing, trying to decide if going in like they didn’t know what was happening would be best or to just run in gun blazing. The choice was taken from him not a moment later.

“You can come out now,” Betty Ann shouted. “You can’t hide from the sight of the Lady.” Her voice was smug and grating.

“Well fuck,” Ray said. “There goes the element of surprise. I’m gonna shoot her. I’ve wanted to shoot her since we got here.” Standing near him, Walt just rolled his eyes.

Laura McGrath spoke next, her voice frighteningly cold. “I suggest you listen, or I’ll be forced to take my irritation out on Joe and his lovely family.”

Nate nodded and they stepped forward into the clearing. Brad quickly scanned the surroundings to see what they were dealing with.

Laura stood straight and tall before a medium sized bonfire that was in the center of a circle of stones, dressed in gleaming white robes. No doubt that was where their blood was going to be spilled before they were given to the Lady. Her husband, Steven stood nearby his gun up and pointed at them, the three deputies with him doing the same. Behind her was the largest apple tree Brad had ever seen, it would take about a half dozen people to encircle its trunk. But it was short and squat and sickly looking. Its bark covered in certain places by what appeared to be dried blood, but some places still looked wet and fresh. 

There were 5 other people standing nearby, one of them Betty Ann, whose formerly sweet smile had become surprisingly malicious. Then there was Joe, tied to a nearby tree along with a copper haired woman and two adolescent children.

“I’m not going to bother asking how you knew we were here because I simply don’t care. But if you don’t let those people go, things are going to get really ugly, really fast,” Brad said almost conversationally. 

He knew he couldn’t claim the high ground when it came to human sacrifice. After all, his father used to be sacrificed to regularly, even if most times they were volunteers or criminals. But the people sacrificed here; there only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

“You are in hardly any position to be giving me orders Mr. Colbert. Now any weapons you have throw them down and get on your knees. All of your jewelry as well,” Laura snapped. She gestured at one of the deputies who turned his gun from them to the family crouching by the tree. The children cried out and their parents flinched.

Brad stiffened and Nate narrowed his eyes. Behind them Ray fidgeted obviously on his way to saying something rude and offensive.

McGrath just smiled. “Yes I know what you are. The Lady warned of us of your kind a long time ago. Children of false gods.”

“Hardly false,” Nate said. “Or your Lady wouldn’t fear us so much. Where is she? Is she that much of a coward she can’t face us?”

The cultists frowned and the Sheriff tightened his grip on his gun. The thin deputy holding the gun on Joe and his family swiftly turned his gun back on the Band. “Watch your mouth punk,” he said.

“What are you going to do if I don’t? You can’t hurt me with that.” Nate answered, bluffing. Of any of them standing there, Brad was the one most likely to walk away from multiple bullets. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to kill you all then burn this orchard to the ground. Or you can put your guns down and let those people go. And maybe I’ll let you live.”

Even Brad flinched at Nate’s tone. The power in his voice surprisingly passionate, his dislike for the people standing in front of him could practically be felt. He stood straight and tall and his hands were relaxed by his side, like he didn’t care there were four guns pointed at him, an unknown creature waiting in the wings, and a number of nemean beasts running around unchecked.

Laura and Betty staggered back a step, and the sheriff and his deputies guns almost fell from their grasps. 

Ray took advantage of the lull. He pulled the Thyrsus from his back and opened fire at Deputy Fredrick. The bullet hit him hard, knocking the man off his feet and the gun from his hand. He was down but he wasn’t out just yet. Joe, his wife and the children screamed.

Nate ran towards the bonfire and the two women standing in front of it, frozen with fear from the sudden eruption of violence and the disruption of their plans. Nate grabbed a nearby branch and thrust it into the fire, turning it into his own mini torch. Brad smiled, trust Nate to get right to the center of the problem. He was heading right for the cults sacred tree.

The shot awakened everyone from their stupor and they raised their guns and opened fire. They all scattered. Walt headed towards the family, his blade now visible and in his hand. He cut them free of their bonds, and urged them to run. 

Thankfully, Brad noticed it was in the opposite direction of the increasing sounds of the nemean hogs heading their way, attracted to all the noise.

Then the ground shook, and the tree shuddered and undulated in a disturbing manner. Its center parted like a wound, black and rotted from the inside, and out she stepped. She was exactly like Joe had described but obviously human eyes had refused to see what Brad did.

Her skin was green but spotted here and there with black spots like an apple gone bad. There were roses twined in her hair, but they were dead and covered in thorns. She would have been beautiful if not for her fiery red eyes, her face contorted in a fierce scowl, and her teeth bared in a hiss at Nate.

Her skin rippled and sprouted thorns that dripped with a poison, Brad knew he wanted nothing to do with, no matter how good Walt was at curing poisons. 

Laura tried to hide behind her goddess, only to get a backhand that knocked her almost ten feet away, her face punctured by the nymph’s thorns. She was convulsing in moments. Her goddess, who she had sacrificed untold numbers of people to and loved beyond measure didn’t even look over to see who she had hit.

Betty Ann screamed and tried to run, but tripped, smashing her head on the ground and knocking herself unconscious.  
He didn’t get a chance to see more because he was too busy trying to dodge the sheriff’s bullets, who had finally gotten his act together enough to shoot at Brad. He missed badly, and so did his deputies who followed his lead, aiming for Brad.

Brad called on his relic, feeling the gauntlet engulf his hand then flow up his arm. He moved to take him out only to be interrupted by Deputy Fredrick who had some how gotten back to his feet and pointed his gun right at Brad. 

Fredrick sneered at him and pulled the trigger. The gun backfired explosively and he screamed and fell again, but this time he wasn’t going to get back up. It must have been damaged somehow when Ray shot him earlier. His next bullet took down Steven McGrath.

Walt was closing in on Nate and the titan tainted nymph. Which left Brad and Ray to deal with the last two deputies, plus the three hogs who were seconds away. This was going to be fun.

Ray shot one of the of the deputies, this one slightly overweight but this one held his gun like he knew exactly what he was doing with it.

“C’mon motherfucker, I’m like Annie fucking Oakley with this gun,” Ray shouted. The idiot was in the middle of firefight with a cult, with monsters bearing down on him and he was smiling like it was the best time in the world.

“Annie Oakley Ray, really?”, Brad asked irritably. 

“It sounded better in my head.”

He closed in on the last one, who had decided that this was a losing battle and tried to run for it. Brad was disgusted on pure principal. The man didn’t even bother to try to grab Betty or any of his fallen comrades. He didn’t get far.

Brad hit him a little harder than he usually would have, but such dishonorable behavior deserved it. It would be his little secret that he enjoyed the sound of cracking bones. Finally the mortals were out of the way and Brad turned around just in time to get thrown back into a tree by a hog. It seemed they had finally arrived. 

It took the fuckers long enough, he bitched mentally even as the ribs that had broken from the hit healed with only the smallest bit of effort from him. Had the hog been bigger he would have had bigger things to worry about then just a couple of broken ribs.  
“Oh fuck!”, Ray shouted and he fired at the one rushing him, luckily putting one right through its eye and stopping its headlong rush towards him.

Brad had to settle for pushing himself up off the tree, using the extra momentum to launch himself at the creature. It was faster than it looked, his first hit misses but the second catches it hard across the face. 

On the other side of the clearing Nate and Walt have the nymph cornered. She’s screaming in some obscure language. If he had to guess he would say Greek, but it sounded harsher than that, almost choppy, with a lot of harsh consonants. 

Both of their blades are slick with blood, but both of them had healing bruises and cuts. Their semi divine immune systems have managed to keep the poison from the bitches thorns at bay, but who knew for how long that would last.

Brad was getting annoyed with this. He gritted his teeth and brought gauntlet covered fist down on the creatures skull when it came at him again. He crushed it beneath his fist and watched as it finally toppled over at his feet, dead.

He looked up to find that the nymph was on the ground, her head neatly severed from her body with Walt standing over it. His face was pale and blank. With the battle done, weapons were put away and they stood silently catching their breaths.

“Damn Walt, you’ve really been practicing with that thing,” Ray said in an effort to lighten the mood. “I remember when you used to swing it around like a bat.”

“Well of course I’ve improved. It takes a bit more finesse than your point, shoot, and hope to hit something method” Walt countered, smiling. 

“Fuck you” Ray said as they all laughed.

“We have to burn the tree. It’s a blight on this whole area” Nate said, interrupting gently. 

“We’ll have to keep the fire contained as much as possible,” Brad countered. 

“We can do it. Besides We have to find Joe and his family. Who knows what else is in this fucking place?” Nate moved towards the fire again grabbing the branch that the nymph had knocked from his hand. It had luckily landed back within the circle of stones preventing an uncontrolled fire.

Then Nate set the tree ablaze. Very faintly, Brad thought he heard it scream. Walt looked satisfied and after the fire finally died he knelt before the tree and sunk his fingers into dirt. Brad turned when he heard shuffling footsteps, Joe and his family had snuck back. When they saw the bodies, his wife held the children close and skirted around them.

She looked up at Brad with a surprisingly steely gaze, her face was strong and the force of her personality showed through her eyes. “Thank you, for everything.”

“We’re not done yet,” Walt said. “Mokosh, Mom, I could use a favor.” He closed his eyes and blessed the orchard, pushing his power as far as wide as he could. Brad could smell the strong scent of apples again but without the lingering smell of rot. Walt almost seemed to glow. 

The family gasped as some of the trees began to appear healthier, and the scorched remains of the nymph’s tree collapsed and the sapling of a brand new apple tree could be seen. That was beyond Walt’s power, at least at the moment, it seemed his mother had answered his prayers.

All of sudden there was tinkling laughter and a voice so sweet and motherly it brought tears to all their eyes. Brad suddenly missed his mother fiercely. He could see Ray hastily wiping his own face and pretending nothing had happened. A gift for you and your companions my child. And there is more to come.

The bodies of the hogs suddenly sunk into the ground like they were never there. Brad idly wondered what she was going to do with them.  
********************************************************************************************************  
They gathered up Joe and his family, and returned them to town. The children clutched at their mother but the family never took their eyes off of Brad or the others.

It seemed everyone was out, having seen the sheriff and his deputies drag the family from their home no one had been able to sleep for fear of being next. It wasn’t long before the story had spread across the whole town. They were given a free meal at the diner by Lisa who seemed to have inherited it from Betty.

People were sent to gather the bodies and the wounded, and to check the orchard. Brad didn’t know what the townspeople were going to do to Betty and he didn’t much care. They were treated like heroes, and the town’s air seemed to be lighter, like a weight had been lifted.

They were welcomed into Joe’s house who’s last name they found out to be Davidson, and allowed to bathe and change their clothes. Brad would often look over to find the children, Emily and Johnathan, staring at him or one of the others. They would smile and run when spotted but they were cute in a harmless way. 

The owner of the local car lot gifted them with a huge RV. Ray had been ecstatic. 

“Dude, this is a Coachmen class RV, this is like a house on wheels.” Ray exclaimed. He turned to Nate. “We are so not turning this down. With Brad growing a foot every week like the freaky giant aryan viking he is, we need the space.” Even Walt looked excited after seeing the inside.

Brad snorted. “You just want something that reminds you of the trailer home you grew up in.”

“He does have a point Brad. We were going to have to replace the jeep eventually and this can hold a lot more stuff for us. And it’s free.” Nate said.

And just like that they were driving around in a RV. Brad wouldn’t admit that he liked it a lot more than he let on. It felt like heaven to finally stretch his six foot ten inch frame. Though Brad could already see the fights that would erupt over the one queen sized bed. The bunks were nice but too small for his frame.

When they finally left the next day, weighed down by cookies, cakes, hand made clothing, and even money from the few wealthier members of the community, they spent most of the morning packing all the stuff away.

It seemed the whole town had turned out to see them off, and they stayed waving and cheering until they finally drove out of sight. 

Nate was driving this time easily ignoring Ray’s complaint that he was driving like an old woman. Soon Ray grew tired of getting no response and turned to bother Walt.

“They’re totally going to build a shrine to you.”

“Shut up Ray.”

“No, I’m so serious. I over heard a few people talking about,” Ray said. “I’m jealous. You already have a cult.”  
Walt just rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’ll have one soon.”

“That would be awesome. Can you imagine?”

“Yes I can Ray,” Nate said. “And it scares me.”

Ray sniffed derisively. “Whatever.” He reached over and turned the radio on. Brad thought it was a total cliche to say they drove off into the sunset but that's exactly what they did.


End file.
